How does the new online version work?
The online version came online in May 2008. It's patterned after the old downloadable program,
except now there's no file to download, thereby opening it up to all types of computers that have internet access.
To start using the program online begin with a free trial
and after you evaluate it free you may purchase it.

The rest of this page does not apply to the new online version, but it's included for users of old downloadable program.

How do I order the old downloadable version?
To order the old version go to this order link.

What are installation instructions? After you download the program, the steps for installing it are as follows:
1) In Windows Explorer navigate to the downloaded file (the first time it will be simplyshopping.exe),
2) Double-click on the file to run it,
3) When the installer runs, just answer the questions it asks you.

What if I haven't received my password?

1. If you paid by credit card, your password is shown on the next screen following the approval screeen.

2. If you used PayPal, your password is in your PayPal confirmation email.
Verify that PayPal has your correct email address.

3. If you did not yet purchase a password, then
do this at the home page.

4. If you're an AOL user, then please unblock your email. We can email you ten
times, and you'll never receive it, because AOL blocks it.

You can run it in compatibility mode.
Just right click on the program and choose "run as administrator."
Then choose compatibility mode from the tabbed interface.
Select the radio button for the version of windows you want to run the program in.
Running it as compatible for Windows XP or Windows 2000 should work.
For more help see:
www.howtogeek.com.

Installation: If I'm missing FM20.DLL, how do I get it?

If you have Microsoft Office, then you should also have FM20.DLL which Simply Shopping requires.
If you don't, or if yours is older than 8/10/2000, then you can download FM20.DLL from Microsoft:

The download file is an executable (it ends with .exe). Run it (double click on it in Windows Explorer),
and it will install FM20.DLL for you. If you want more information about this file,
see Microsoft's explanation.

If you get a memory error, this newer version of FM20.DLL may solve the problem.
Also if you have weird visual effects, like fat scrollbars, then this should solve the problem.

It gives a message that a file is missing. Where can I get the missing file?

If you are missing FM20.DLL, see the above section. If you need other files, see below.

Instructions: After downloading, unzip it into your System32 folder (or System folder). This folder is under your WINNT folder (or under your Windows folder).
If you can't find your System32 folder, then put these files into your Simplyshopping folder. (When you unzip it, navigate to the desired folder.)
Caution: Don't overwrite files of the same name if your current file has a more recent date. Check the dates of the old file and the replacement file.
Final Step: After unzipping, one of the unzipped files ends with the ".bat" extension.
It's a batch file which, when executed, registers the missing file.
Run the .bat file by double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer. The .bat file just takes a second to run,
and it lets your computer know where the missing file is located.

Instructions: After downloading, just run the EXE file. That will
automatically install and register the files for you.

The installer tries to install the wrong program. Why?

This is usually caused by a file left behind by another program's installer. If the left-over file
is read-only, the Simply Shopping installer cannot overwrite it with a copy of its own file during its "Copying Files" phase. Then, when
the Simply Shopping installer tries to run its own programs, it actually runs the other software's leftovers.

To fix this problem,
remove the file named Setup.exe found in your TEMP folder (usually C:\TEMP or C:\WINDOWS\TEMP or C:\WINNT\TEMP.
Then re-run the Simply Shopping installer.

If that still doesn't work, then search for a Setup.exe file in other folders. Try Start - Search.
Alternatively, you can search for all TEMP folders or TMP folders, and once you find those folders, look for a Setup.exe file inside.
Once you find a Setup.exe file, you can determine the program to which it belongs by starting to run it, and then cancel out of it as soon as you see which program it will install.

Another solution that has worked is to run the installer from a different folder.

If the email buttons in Simply Shopping don't work, what do I do?

When you send a document from within a program (such as Microsoft Word) by clicking the File menu, and then clicking Send (or by pointing to Send To on the File menu and then clicking Mail Recipient), the e-mail program that is your default Simple MAPI client is used to send the document.

The way it works for your other programs (such as Microsoft Word) is the same way it works for Simply Shopping. If you can email from Microsoft Word, then you can also email from Simply Shopping.

If it's not working, then most likely the default option in Outlook Express is not set correctly, one way or the other, depending on which program you want to be your default email program.

Here is the solution. Quit all other running e-mail programs, and then follow these steps in Outlook Express:

If you have Outlook Express 4.x ...

On the Tools menu, click Options. You should be on the General tab.

If you want Outlook Express to be your email program, click the Make Outlook Express my default Simple MAPI client check box to put a check mark in it. If you want another program (such as Outlook) to be your email program, then uncheck the Make Outlook Express my default Simple MAPI client check box (if it has a checkmark, then click it to remove the checkmark).

Respond to the remaining prompts.

Quit Outlook Express, and then restart your computer.

If you have Outlook Express 5 ...

On the Tools menu, click Options. You should be on the General tab.

If you want Outlook Express to be your email program, then click Make Default next to This application is the default mail handler. If Outlook Express is already your default email program, then the Make Default button will be disabled, and the text next to it will say This application is the default Mail handler.

Click OK.

Why doesn't the store map show up on my list of stores?

If you purchased a store map, then you should have
downloaded a zip file. The zip file contains three files ending with .shp,
which you will see after you unzip the zip file. Without opening the three .shp
files, simply put the three .shp files into the same folder where the Simply Shopping program
resides (the Simply Shopping folder is normally under the Program Files
folder). If you do not see your store on the list of stores within the Simply Shopping program, these are possible reasons:

1. Maybe you have not yet installed the Simply Shopping program. The program and the store map work hand in hand.
If you did not purchase the Simply Shopping program, then you may
download a free trial and install it. For a six-month temporary password use "simply7"
(without the quotes). After the six-month trial period you can decide if you want to purchase the permanent password.

2. Maybe you saved the three .shp files to a different folder. They should not be saved to a subfolder under the Simply Shopping folder.
Neither should they be on the C drive root. They need to be in exactly the same folder where the Simply Shopping program resides. The Simply Shopping folder is mostly likely under your Program Files folder.
Don't make any new folder. Just put them directly into the existing Simply
Shopping folder.

3. Maybe you didn't unzip the zip file. If the file you downloaded includes the store name and ends with ".zip" then you need a utility like WinZip to unzip it. If the file you downloaded includes the store name and ends with ".exe" then it's a self-extracting file, and you just double-click on the file in Windows Explorer to unzip it. When you unzip it, be sure to unzip it to the Simply Shopping folder. The result will be three (3) files unzipped, and they all end with ".shp" and all three files should end up in the same folder where your Simply Shopping program resides. Once the three ".shp" files are safely there, your job is done. The program will take over from there.

4. Maybe you tried to open the files.
That's doing too much. Do less. Keep it simple. The Simply Shopping program automatically reads them.
Don't double-click on the files, because you don't want to open them - you just want to save them
to the correct folder - that's all. If you try to open the files, you will
get confused and think something is wrong, because the files are written in
computereze, not English.

5. Maybe the file extension of .shp got stripped. Simply Shopping is looking for three files with an .shp extension.

6. Maybe you saved only one or two of the files instead of all three.

7. Maybe you had Simply Shopping open the entire time. If you close and reopen it, then the store should appear on the list of stores.
(By the way, after you open Simply Shopping, the three .shp files disappear.
That's normal. That means the program successfully imported them.)

If your store still does not appear on the list
of stores within the Simply Shopping program, then email me a screen print of Windows Explorer showing the list of files in the same folder where you saved the three
files. (Press Alt-PrntScrn to copy the screen image to the clipboard. Then paste it into a Word document. Finally, attach the Word document to an email and send it to me.)
After looking at this, most likely I will tell you that the files ended up in the wrong folder. That's the most common mistake.

How can I add items or varieties?

Use Ctl-A to add. See the Help button within the program for more information about adding, renaming, deleting, and changing the category to which an item or variety belongs.

Can I add categories?

Although you can add items and varieties, you cannot add categories. The reason for this is to maintain a common point of reference among all users. This allows users to email shopping lists to one another and have the aisle-by-aisle printout still work.
Notice the generic categories beginning with "Other" or ending
with "Other." These may give you the flexibility you need. If that doesn't work for you, let us know your specific category needs.

Windows XP won't run this program.

Try these Microsoft help sites:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842242 After you install Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), some programs may seem not to work. By default, Windows Firewall is enabled and blocks unsolicited connections to your computer. This article discusses how to make an exception and enable a program to run by adding it to the list of exceptions. This procedure permits the program to work as it did before the service pack was installed.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875351 You
can also add an exception for the program by using System Properties in Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Click the Advanced tab, click Performance, and then click Settings.
3. In Performance Options, click the Data Execution Prevention tab, and then click Add.
4. In the Open dialog box, locate and then click the program.
5. Click Open, click Apply, and then click OK. When you are prompted to restart your computer, click OK.

After a disk crash or computer change, how can I retrieve the store information from the old disk to put onto the new disk?

Your data is in the TShop.dat file. After downloading and re-installing the software, put
your old TShop.dat into your new Simplyshopping folder. Finally, if you have .shp files in that folder, delete them.